Art of manufacturing pouches



Aug. 7, 1945, c. K BILLEB 2,380,914

ART OF MANUFACTURING POUCHES Filed April 12, 1943 Y XENKENTOR. Z ZWXZMW quickly and en'ectively'converted into strong Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ART or Manor-norms roncna Clyde 1:. Bllleb, shorewood, Wis., animalto Milprint. Inc. Delaware Milwaukee, Wis

., a corporation of appnmmea m 12. 104:. sex-u No. ream 2 Claims. (cums) sheet material, I specifically to an improved method of and apparatus for producing pouch-like containers in 5 rapid succession from heat-scalable sheets or the like.

An object of vide and otherwise coated regenerated cellulose, may

it and neat receptacles or pouches of uniform size. Another specific object o! my invention is to a method 01' rapidly andefllciently prosheets are belng 'transtormed into Pouches by successive steps.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide simple, compact and hlghLv efllcient apparatus for effecting automatic sealing of the. opposite edses; of superimposed sheets 01' material so that only limited definite areas near the edges of the sheets will be united and the sheets will remain disconnected in the space between these areas. .1

These and other specific objects and advantages oi the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description. 1

A clear conception of 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view oi improved apparatus automatically converting folded or othersuperimposed sheets of heat sealable material into finished pouches; and- F'ig. 2 is an enlarged oi the completed pouches.

While the improvement has been shown and described herein as appearance, accurate dimensions and like carrya ing capacity,

can be expeditiously produced from approximately rectangular sheets of" thin material such as regenerated cellulose coated with a protective substance which is adapted to become tacky, sticky and or carrying sheets relatively" pliable and distortable. ese coated rectangular sheets are initial-1v medially folded to prolug beyond the, clamping zones The edge nor- 8 are thereafter subjected perspective view of one portions 6 so as to leave the portions 6' projectcient to soften a direction sweeping away from iacent should, be applied between the coatingsl on the coacting surfaces of these overlapped end portio and the protruding portions 6 are then prcmptly squeezed so that the sealing pressure is pro-' gressively applied along these edge portions in tom fold 5. The clamping action on the medial portion of the pouch assemblages is maintained to prevent the softened and fluent coating at the opposite edge portions from spreading into the clamped zone, and this clamping action is also preferably continued after the sealing pressure has been applied for a period of time sufficient to permit cooling and permanent setting of the seals. In this manner, the successive pouches t shown in Fig. 2 can be rapidly and most effectively produced without undesirable distortion and without impairing their internal dimensions.

In order to facilitate commercial exploitation;

of the improved method, and because of the relatively delicate nature of the coated sheet material used in the formation of these pouches, it is necessary to utilize some type of apparatus for automatically carrying. on the uccessive steps and for maintaining the clamping action, after the successive 'sheets have been initially folded. Such apparatus is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and comprises in general a main endless conveyor belt 8 coacting with pulleys 9 and having an upper approximately horizontal conveying stretch iii; a shorter auxiliary endless conveyor belt H disposed above the main conveyor and coasting with pulleys ii,

the belt it having a lower approximately horizontal clamping and conveying stretch is 10- cated in close proximity to'the stretch it; suitable means for constantly driving the belts it, til

so as to cause the coacting stretches id, it thereofto constantly advance in the same direction; two sets of elongated heaters M disposed adto the opposite edges of the initial portions of the coacting belt stretches it, it; two setsof coacting pressure rollersld located adthe initial bOtfor sealing. Immediately after leaving the zone of the heaters l4, the end portions 8 of the folded sheets 'are advanced between thesqueeze rollers II, and these rollers progressively apply pressure to the heat treated edge portions i in a direction away from the fold line 5 thereby simultaneously ironing the superimposed layers of ma- 'during the heating and sealing operations so as pleted pouches ,delivery end of the upper stretch it, they are 4 are quickly and terial' and sealing the opposite edge portions. During this ironing and sealing operation of the opposite ends of each pouch, the softened coatings are prevented from spreading inwardly beyond the edges of the belts 8, H, by the clamping action of :the advancing stretches III, II. After sealing of the opposite ends of the pouches 4 has been effected, they are advanced through the cooling and drying zone l8 without releasing the clamping pressure, and when the com- 4 are finally discharged from the in finished condition and all of the pouches 4 have identical appearance and are of uniform size. In this manner the successive pouches effectively produced and the rapidity of production is limited only by the speed at which freshly folded sheets are admitted to the machine. I

jacent to the opposite edges of the'stretches ill,

it in alinement with and beyond the heaters it; and a cooling zone It for the pouches 45 extend-- ing along the stretches it, it considerably beyond the sealing zone or rollers it.

During normal operation of the improved apparatus shown in Fig.1, and while carrying on my improved method of producing pouches or the like, the rectangularsheets from which the pouches t are formed, should medially of their side edges to provide a bottom fold '5, and the successive folded assemblages the belt stretches to, is with the open edges. The conveyor belts 3, H and the rollers I5 should'be constantly driven so as to cause the stretches If], It to advance in the direction indicated by the arrow and to cause the rollers to likewise rotate (in the directions lndi-l cated by the arrows. 'Ifhe advancing cooperating belt stretches ill, it will 'then compress the medial portions of the folded sheets and since he initially folded dimcult problems.

improved method or to the precise scope of the claims may occur folded edges 5 in-advance of the From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that my present invention provides an improved system of manufacturing pouches or the like having opposite heat sealed edges, which is simple and effective and can be utilized especially where the material has characteristics which make it difficult to handle such sheet material. The improved method comprises a series of simple steps whereby the internal dimensions of the successive pouches 4 may be maintained uniform, and undesirable distortion of the sheet material is positively avoided. The improved apthe new method is both simple and compact, and by utilizing simultaneously advancing endless belt stretches it, it, both clamping and advancement of the successive pouches is most effectively accomplished. The invention has gone into highly successful actual commercial use and has proven its adaptability to produce pouches from sheet material the handling of which has heretofore presented many 7 The apparatus furthermore functions entirely automatically except for the initial insertion of the folded sheets, and these ,can obviously be introduced in any suitable and convenientmanner.

It should be understood to limit this invention to that it is not desired the exact steps of the details of construction of the apparatus, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

- 1. The method of producing pouches from approximately rectangular sheets of heat-scalable material, which comprises, folding each sheet medially of its end edges to provide integral superimposedlayers of the material, clamping the portion of each folded sheet between the superimposed opposite side edges thereof while these sheets aresomewhat wider than the widths -tions 6 will be softened and placed in condition continuously advancing the clamped assemblages in succession with their opposite overhanging side edge portions passing through heating zones so as to prepare only the protruding side edge portions for sealing by pressure, and immediately thereafter subjecting both of the heated side .portions of each advancing assemblage to external rolling pressure progressing away from its initial fold so as to seal the sides and to thus produce side edge portions passing through heating zones pouches each having three closed and one open so as to prepare only the protruding side edge edge portion. portions for sealing by pressure, immediately 2. The method of producing pouches from apthereafter subjecting both oi the heated side porproximately rectangular sheets of heat-sealable 5 tions of each advancing assemblage to external material, which comprises, folding each sheet rolling pressure progressing away from its initial medially of its end edges to provide integral fold so as to seal the sides and to thus produce superimposed layers of the material, clamping pouches each having three closed and one open the portion of each folded sheet between the edge portion, and finally continuing the clampsuperimposed opposite side edges thereof while lng action and advancing action on the pouches continuously advancing the clamped assemblages until the heat seals have cooled. in succession with their opposite overhanging CLYDE K. BILLEB. 

